My Mother's Boyfriend

Mr and Mrs Noimchael

Maya

Trembling, I stare at the closed bedroom door as I await my impending doom. My mind races with the events of today, glad that my family was not around for it. When I prayed for the freedom of having a husband, my parents did not choose for me. This is not what I had in mind.

I wanted the chance to fall in love, like my parents did. A real chance to explore my feelings and me. To find myself in this large world. To become all that I can be.

It’s a real marriage. In every sense.

After the priest pronounced us husband and wife, I did not even have time to process that properly before the room was filled with another crowd of people.

Not even yet recovered from the fact that this engagement was a sham, and it was an actual wedding, a shawl was thrown over my head, and I was placed before a priest of my religion. The ritual began, and I followed the man’s loudly spoken words. He spoke for everyone to hear even when he did not speak English. Then quietly for my ears and the m#rderer’s.

Doom spreads all over me and I keep my head bowed. My- I nearly hurl when my new husband’s words come in, to echo inside my head. “It will be a real marriage, in every sense...”

He meant it. Even if the marriage meant nothing to me- he ensured it did. By bringing another priest to officiate the contract between us. No religion can hold us separate now. The Don won.

I wanted my mother’s arms around me. Like how she used to comfort me...but I know she despises me as of now. I knew she loved my brother and me after she moved out from what Alejandro's words had revealed at my home- my former home.

“Mama...” I fell into the old pattern. I started saying Mum when I hit puberty. And so, Tony calls her mum sometimes as well.

My throat parched and now aching from it, for I could swallow no food down- even the sweets offered to me were tasteless as stones on my tongue as I forced them down. I could not even get myself to drink water- that is how much my stomach threatened to empty itself.

Dread after dread and more dread has been my mood since I met this man. Today was no different. As the words were announced, “I now pronounce you Mr and Mrs Noimichael,” my already-on-fire stomach lurched in my accepted fate. Then horror when added to it was, “You may now kiss your bride.”

But Alejandro smirked and kissed me on the side of the corner of my mouth. “Lift your cheeks up when you smile,” he has said low enough for my ears alone, and I did so when he followed that with, "Now.” The malice could be felt in the singular word and his eyes were mere inches from mine as he straightened his back, showing what I sensed.

My head spins from the lack of- well, anything but negative thinking...this is now my life.

The clock on the wall says it’s ten minutes to midnight and the Noimichaels are still celebrating downstairs. NOI-Michael and not just Michael as I thought all this time. The name on the marriage certificate is etched on my mind and even now, I feel myself tremor.

Having made the very real excuse of being tired and needing to take a rest about an hour before, I feel like I can finally breathe for the first time in hours. I really am exhausted, but I don’t think sleep will be coming soon.

He would meet me later, his mother had said to me with a tight smile as she guided me up the stairs earlier, leaving me with a peck on my cheek. The woman was reserved up to that point, so the kiss started me a bit. I wonder if she will warm up to me...but I do not care about it much.

But I must, I argue with myself. After all, she is now my mother-in-law.

So now I wait...for him. He did say it was a marriage in every sense to him, so it had to be for me as well.

“Mum, I am so sorry,” I manage to get out as the tears begin to flow, almost choking. I rush up to take the glass of water from the night stand next to the bed that one of the maids must have put, and greedily swallowed it till halfway, thinking of my mother and how her heart must be breaking wherever she is. Alejandro’s hands came to my mind, touching my naked waist with his hands. His huge hands. I feel my blood chilling with that.

He promised to not touch me, right?

My tears did not stop, and my nausea rose.

Remembering the tablets in the small drawer, I pulled it open and took out two painkillers, downing those with the remaining water, still a sobbing mess. Then remembering the dress, I quickly halted my crying and struggled with the zipper of the dress that was on the side, beneath my right armpit, pulling it down and stepping out of it just in time.

Another emotional cry escaped my mouth, and I saw my tears dropping to the floor, but thankfully not on the dress.

Suddenly, the music stopped and so did my crying, my mouth hanging open mid-cry. A loud displeased sound came from the patrons downstairs, indicating that the party was over, and it was racking up time.

Oh-no.

But he did say he would not touch me, right?

My circled eyes ogled the huge door, dropping to the silver heels near it. My body racks again in tremors.

I am Mrs Noimichael. Not Michael as I had assumed, from before, just like the reporters and everyone else who spoke or printed about them.

Cringe, cringe, cringe.

Then I heard the music coming back on again, only lower, the voices no longer reaching me- thank God, I sighed, falling back onto the mattress and staring up at the beautifully crafted ceiling.

Alejandro would go to his room now. His mother was possibly under the impression that, because we were now married, he would move back into this room to share with me. I knew it was his room and, out of courtesy, he stayed in another.

He could have gone back to his apartment for all I cared. If in fact, why hadn’t he? I hope he is doing so tonight if his mother decides to check in on him in the room he had taken up his dwelling in.

Suddenly, the door opens, without a sound, but I know he has entered the room from my peripheral view- he has gone back on his word?

“Fcuk!” Covering my mouth after that loud outburst. Alejandro has already told me I think like a child and my action just now confirms it. I had cussed in the presence of an adult and felt as if I had disrespected him.

Maybe he is correct a bit. But I am glad. In a way, this would show him that I am not ready to be a proper wife to him. That I still feel and act like a child, and he would stay away from me.

“Phone,” he says and holds his cell phone out to me.

Jumping up, I gave him a cautious look before slowly approaching and taking the device- it's mine.

“I promised you. We are married legally. You can call whomever now.” He stands where he is, and I hurriedly take three steps back, switching it on.

He bends then to take his shoes off. “Whenever we are in the presence of my family, you will take my shoes off.” He slips the first one off, then does not bother with the other one and instead uses his now-freed foot to remove the other. “Lovingly, I mean, we are in love, remember.”

Shaking my head, I agree. He had a point there. My mother used to do that for my father.

Distracted by the notifications coming into my phone, I look at the device in my hand.

“They must have found you by now,” he continues in a slow tone and I nod my head. Whatever he says, I will agree to it right now. I am just so happy to have my phone, so I can call Tony.

“I mean the gossip columns.”

Nodding again, this time I looked up because he was coming towards me, taking his jacket off. Backing up some more when he seems to be wanting to scare me. It’s working.

“They must have found your accounts on social media by now, so you should post something. I’m sorry if this seems like too much for you-” he blows out some air. “Headache?” he questions when I have reached the bed-frame and have nowhere else to go, his hand reaching down to my forehead from where he has stopped about two feet from me. He throws the jacket behind me onto the bed effortlessly.

I nod, smelling the alcohol in his breath.

“You look terrible,” he whispers, and I lift my chin to watch him, the back of my legs pressing onto the board. “You look terrified Maya, but you have backbone.”

Realising my mistake—will he treat me like an adult? I turned my head quickly, lowering my gaze from his harsh dark eyes, my panic escalating with each passing second.

“You cried,” he stated flatly, swiping his thumb across my face to wipe away the tears. "You didn’t eat. And I know you won’t because you’ve got spirit, but how about not punishing yourself, eh? If you don't eat, the only person you hurt is yourself.”

He’s right.

“Let’s make a post and head down to eat, yeah?” He takes my phone then and angles it above him without his words even registering to me. With his other hand, he pulls me towards him, turning to me at the same time. Then it clicks on my brain- he wants to take a selfie to post on social media.

It is also then in the camera; I notice I have nothing on but my whole slip as I have discarded my dress.

Hearing his snicker and my cry at the same time, I try to dodge the lens, but he holds me firmly towards him. He has not taken any photos as yet.

“Relax, you look good-”

“You intend to post me this way for all to see?” Pink shades my cheeks. Embarrassment that he has chosen to humiliate me this way. How could he be so low? I sort of shrink into myself, holding my naked shoulders together.

“I will not-” he denies, yet I still attempt to move away, but the man overpowers me without even trying, while I am almost fighting him. Despite my earlier thought that I am too drained for any more emotional pulls tonight, I am currently experiencing one. And I have raccoon eyes. “Geez, I will not take anything past your shoulders and, besides, this drapey thing has straps." His expression is weary, so I trust his words. He does not seem to harbour any malicious intent. "Relax. You look perfect, Maya; just one more thing-” he places my phone in his trouser's pocket, and my heart sinks a little, fearing he is taking it back. But no, he unbuttons the top three buttons of his shirt, then retrieves the phone and angles it again.

Looking back at the camera, I see him lean towards me and I flinch, but he simply waits for me to come back into position and his heart beats against my cheek when he leans my head against his chest, his long fingers resting on my hair. He bends his head and kisses the top of my head, surprising me, but I go with it.

Snap.